The Talent Powered Organization: Strategies for Globalization, Talent Management and High Performance by Peter Cheese, Robert J Thomas and Elizabeth Craig

Reviewed by Bob Little

The ‘z’ in the book’s title, along with its subtitle of ‘globalization, talent management and high performance’, proclaims that the inspiration and impetus for this publication (Kogan Page) comes from the USA. Indeed, the impetus for ‘talent management’ per se, comes from the USA, which is experiencing the effects of an ageing working population on a larger, more homogenous, scale than the rest of the Western world.

The book’s authors – all from the Accenture stable – examine the trends that are forcing talent management to the top of many corporate HR agendas. These include retaining valuable experience from an ageing generation of workers and integrating members of ‘Generation Y’ into the workforce.

The book offers current examples of best practice and discusses ways of attracting, retaining and multiplying talent in the new global economy. The key messages contained in the book are that: engagement is the mystery ingredient that can transform business performance; human capital strategy must be an intrinsic part of any business strategy, and learning and skills development is now one of the most important capabilities for the talent-powered organisation but the best programmes recognise that not everyone learns in the same way. Whether or not we work in global organisations, the issue of talent management will – in one form or another – affect us all. As and when it does, it might be useful to have the benefit of this book’s perspective in order to plot a successful strategy.